Kenny Shiels confident Derry City can sign off season with four wins in row

Kenny Shiels confident Derry City can sign off season with four wins in row

BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

PFAI Manager of the Year nominee Kenny Shiels will attempt to end a successful first season in League of Ireland football by leading Derry City to a fourth consecutive win when they visit St Patrick's Athletic tonight.

PFAI Manager of the Year nominee Kenny Shiels will attempt to end a successful first season in League of Ireland football by leading Derry City to a fourth consecutive win when they visit St Patrick's Athletic tonight.

The Candystripes boss has been short-listed for the award alongside Dundalk's Stephen Kenny and Bray Wanderers' Harry Kenny after a year in which he has led the Brandywell side to a third place finish and European qualification.

The nominations are made by fellow managers in the league and Shiels admitted he was touched by the nomination.

"It's a nice honour but the players have made the season more than anybody, and the staff as well have been brilliant," he said.

"It's a great honour to be short-listed. It's a good achievement, but I don't want us to be happy with third.

"I want us to be looking to get higher and higher all the time."

Now, with the season's goals achieved, Shiels will attempt to rouse his players one last time for a game that means, in reality, very little to either Derry or Pat's.

But with a feelgood factor surrounding the club in the past few weeks, Shiels will be urging his players for one last push to see the season out on a high.

"We want to try and win if we can and set the standard and show our supporters that we don't just turn up when it's for real," he explained.

"We have to show that we care about them making the journey and we have to show that we have a passion for the game irrespective if it improves your league position or anything," he said.

"I believe that we must form good habits ahead of next season and leave the season in a good mood, because that's important for us."

Rather than wait until the last game has passed, Shiels is already preparing for the 2017 campaign, with Josh Daniels and Nathan Boyle signing new deals at the club this week.